Major College Football Program Hailed After Decision to Hire New Coach

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt strongly praises the hiring of this head coach and his belief that this program will rebound in 2026.

After leading his team to a 12-win season and a berth in the College Football Playoff, this 48-year-old head coach will look to revitalize a West Coast program. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins experienced a turbulent football campaign last year that ended with a disappointing three win record. Athletics director Martin Jarmond quickly pivoted to find a leader capable of rebuilding the Los Angeles athletic program.

That search resulted in the hiring of Bob Chesney to command the Bruins sideline. The veteran head coach arrives in Westwood with a proven history of transforming struggling departments into consistent winners.

College football analysts are already taking notice of the cultural shifts happening within the facility. One prominent national voice recently highlighted the sweeping roster changes as a massive positive indicator.

Joel Klatt praises UCLA football direction under Bob Chesney

During a recent episode of his college football podcast, Joel Klatt expressed absolute confidence in the new coaching staff. The Fox Sports analyst believes the program is improving rapidly ahead of the upcoming regular season schedule.

"I think UCLA is clearly pointing in the right direction and pointing up," Klatt said. "Bob Chesney is a very good football coach."

Chesney brings a distinct blue collar work ethic to Southern California. He previously mined coal in Pennsylvania and started his coaching career earning just $5,000 a year at Norwich University.

That grueling path molded his philosophy that coaching is a lifestyle rather than a basic profession. This mentality helped him orchestrate rapid turnarounds at multiple lower division schools before guiding James Madison to a playoff appearance last year.

Bob Chesney is introduced as the UCLA Bruins football coach at a press conference | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A major reason for the national optimism surrounds the return of dual threat quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

"He doesn’t have to start over at the most important position," Klatt noted. "He has got a two year starting quarterback. Nico Iamaleava is 25 starts in and he’s a five star player."

Iamaleava recorded nearly 2,000 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns during his first year operating the Bruins offense. He also contributed 505 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

"The fact remains, UCLA was not a good football team except for him," Klatt said. "And he was the one that would give them a chance with his ability to run it."

To better support his star signal caller, Chesney utilized the NCAA transfer portal to completely overhaul the depth chart. The staff secured the eleventh ranked transfer class nationally by signing 41 new athletes.

Ten of those incoming transfers followed their head coach directly from James Madison. Chesney also brought in offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler to maintain schematic continuity.

"And now you surround him with some better players," Klatt said. "Trend up for the Bruins. I think UCLA is going to have a decent year next year."

The Bruins will host their spring game on Saturday, May 2 after a series of practices beginning on Thursday, April 2.